10th January 2011

Clothed With Perseverance

“…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)

It is interesting to note that it is when things get easy that we tend to let down. Or perhaps when we get into a routine that is not demanding, we are inclined to neglect things.

The Apostle Paul encouraged the churches in Galatia to be careful about this tendency in Galatians 6:9 (NIV), “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

It has been said that Christianity is a marathon not a sprint. We are in this for the long haul and we need to keep looking to the outcome. It is the goal of eternal life in the kingdom of God that can keep us going when our spirits get low and our bodies gets weary. No matter what it is that is getting us down, causing us to lose our focus, it is only for a while that we will have to persevere. Let’s learn from the Apostle Paul again, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

If we read of Paul’s afflictions I do not believe we would call them light, but compared with the eternal glory that Paul focussed on, he thought they were.

Paul sets us an excellent example of perseverance. Let’s endeavour to follow his lead.

PrayerFather in heaven, bring to my mind these wonderful examples of perseverance in your leaders of the past and let them encourage me to keep keeping on and not to get discouraged and let down.Amen